Faith and the Fighter

by Honey Phillips

  “Why do you have to go, Faith?” Kanithe asked.

  “Because the little girl who was abducted with me is going to be the emperor’s consort. I have to make sure that it’s because that’s what she wants to do.”

  “And if it is not?”

  “Then I’ll get her out of there,” Faith said, raising her chin.

  Athtar shook his head. He should have known that was coming. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how they’d get the emperor’s beloved human out of the most heavily guarded palace in the galaxy. Still, if anyone could do it, it would be his woman.

  “In that case, you will need my help,” Kanithe said calmly. “I will come.”

  “This is a family obligation?” Ultana asked.

  “We are not related by blood, but I always thought of her as a little sister.”

  “Ties of affection can be as strong as ties of blood. I will join you.”

  Studoc and Thynmirr exchanged a look, then Studoc grinned. “What the hell? I’ll say one thing, it’s never boring when you’re around, Faith.”

  She grinned back, and Athtar frowned and pulled her closer.

  “The scientists took a child?” Grabon asked, his voice hard.

  “Yes. I begged them to return her, but they would not.” Her voice broke. “And they wouldn’t let her stay with me.”

  Grabon stood, his wings flaring. “They died too easily. I agree. We must make sure that she is safe.”

  “You’re all fucking crazy,” Athtar muttered. “But thank you. Ultana, plot a course.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  As soon as they were underway, he went up to the bridge for a private talk with Kanithe. Faith was playing with Precious when he slipped away. The pup had greeted them as if she’d been abandoned and left to starve and Faith had been overcome with guilt. Fuck, it bothered him, too, but after a few rounds of chase, he left them to play.

  “Kanithe, I want you searching the channels for any chatter about us. As far as I know, they haven’t even put us at the scene so we should be safe enough, but I’m not about to take any chances.”

  “Yes, Captain. But if the Fleet is keeping it quiet, you know I can’t listen in on most of their internal frequencies.”

  “Why not?” Faith said from behind him. She was standing at the entrance to the bridge carrying Precious, not at all concerned that the pup was drooling all over the expensive green silk. So much for keeping his fucking concerns away from her.

  “Too much encryption,” Kanithe said. “They add a layer with each level of security.”

  “Hm. I wonder if they’re using the lower levels as part of the keys for the upper levels. If the encryption protocols are interconnected, it would make it easier to decrypt.” Frowning thoughtfully, she started towards Kanithe’s console. He caught her automatically as she tripped down the step. Her cheeks turned pink.

  “Sorry. I don’t know why I keep forgetting that step is there.”

  “Because your brain is too full of fucking encryption protocols. I don’t suppose you’d consider not trying to hack in to the fucking Imperial Fleet?”

  “You wanted to know if they were looking for us,” she said.

  “If they are, we’re not going any fucking closer,” he warned. “You’ll have to come up with another one of your crazy plans.”

  “My plans aren’t crazy.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and glared at him. Fuck if that look didn’t turn his dick to stone. He hauled her closer and kissed her until she was clinging to him and Precious was wiggling impatiently between them.

  “All right, baby. Just try not to get caught.” He took Precious from her and sent her on her way with a slap on her luscious ass. Faith blushed and Kanithe just shook her head. Feeling ridiculously satisfied with himself, he took Precious and headed for the training room before he grabbed Faith and carried her back to their cabin instead.

  The next few days passed peacefully enough. No one seemed particularly nervous about returning to Kaisar, although Studoc and Ultana kept trying to top each other by thinking of ever more outrageous punishments.

  “They’ll suspend us by one toe above the flaming pit of eternal stench.”

  Everyone groaned at Studoc’s latest but Kanithe looked thoughtful. “I don’t technically have toes. The correct term is spur.”

  “So it will be by toes and spurs.”

  “That would be most unpleasant,” she agreed, and Studoc looked triumphant.

  Faith laughed with the rest of them, but he could tell she was only half listening.

  “What’s going on in that brain of yours, baby?”

  “I was just wondering if the key to the next level is based on some factor of pi,” she said thoughtfully. Most of her time had been spent at Kanithe’s desk, trying to hack the Fleet codes. She had made it all the way to the top level but so far it had eluded her. If he hadn’t insisted she take a break, she would have been there now. “Maybe I’ll just go back to the bridge for a while.”

  “Fuck, no. I have plans for you.” He stood up and threw her over his shoulder.

  “Put me down, you damn Viking.” The word didn’t translate but whenever she called him that, he always found her wet and ready. Grinning at his crew, he headed for their cabin, Precious nipping at his heels, where he proceeded to erase all thoughts of encrypted codes from her mind.

  Unfortunately, his efforts didn’t last long. He awoke the next morning to find her gone and Precious curled in her place.

  “You should have woken me up when she left,” he told her sternly, but the pup only rolled over and gave him her belly to scratch. He obliged, then headed for the shower. His dick ached but he didn’t even consider trying to relieve the pressure. He wanted his woman, not his hand.

  Standing under the hot water, he remembered Faith’s excitement at having a bathtub—not to mention the very pleasurable way they had put it to use. He was still trying to decide the best way to add one to The Lady when he walked onto the bridge. As he’d expected, she was hunched over the communications console, surrounded by slips of paper and muttering to herself. Apparently, she’d been in such a hurry to get back to work that she hadn’t bothered to do more than pull on his silk shirt. His morning erection returned in full force.

  “Morning, baby.” He bent down and kissed the top of her head.

  “Hm,” she said abstractedly.

  “That won’t fucking work. First you sneak out of our fucking bed. Now you won’t even tell me good morning.” He hauled her up and kissed her hard.

  “Oh.” She shook her head when he released her, looking dazed in a much more pleasant way, then smiled up at him. “Morning, love. You were sleeping so peacefully I didn’t want to disturb you.” She bounced a little, which did delightful things to her breasts and he had to force himself to pay attention to what she was saying instead of carrying her back to bed. “I think I’ve got it.”

  “Got what?” He slid his hand inside the shirt and caught hold of a taut nipple. It hardened immediately and her eyes fluttered closed as she swayed towards him.

  “Stop that,” she scolded, but she didn’t pull away. “I think I broke the code. I’m letting the program run now.”

  “Good. We can go back to bed while it’s working.”

  “I should—” Her protest died away as he lifted her high enough to take her breast in his mouth, sucking the tempting peak through the thin silk. She wrapped her legs around him. “Maybe I don’t need to be here,” she said breathlessly. “I did set up an alarm to notify me if it finds your name.”

  “Good. I have the perfect punishment for naughty little scientists who sneak out of bed.”

  He felt her dampen against his chest and grinned. They were halfway up the door when the console started beeping. Her arms tightened around his neck.

  “That’s the alarm. It found your name.”

  Another, much louder alarm filled the bridge, followed by a stern voice.

  “Captain Athtar. This is Imperial Battlecruiser Resolu
te. You are wanted for questioning by His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Karthajin. We will escort you to Kaisar. Do not make any attempt to evade us or your ship will suffer the consequences.”

  They stared at each other. Faith was the first to break the silence.

  “Well, fuck.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Faith was actually grateful that they only had two days remaining in their trip to Kaisar. Easily ten times the size of the The Dancing Lady, the Imperial Battlecruiser loomed overhead the entire time, and her shadow seemed to penetrate the ship, casting a pall over everyone. Athtar was like a caged lion, pacing and growling. She knew how much he hated feeling trapped and tried to distract him with sex but was only partially successful. He responded to her advances as willingly as ever, but he was more concerned about her than he was about himself. He even went as far as suggesting that she use an escape pod to leave the ship.

  “Don’t you think they’ll be looking for that?” she asked a little breathlessly. He’d just made her climax three times in a row and her body was still tingling with excitement.

  “Maybe not. At least you’d stand a fucking chance.”

  “My love, they’re not looking for me. Why don’t you use a pod?”

  “If you think for one fucking second I’m going to fucking leave you…”

  “No, I don’t. Which is why you should realize that I’m not going to leave you, either.” He grumbled and she tugged on his beard. “All we know so far is that someone wants to talk to you.”

  “What the fuck am I going to tell them?”

  “The truth.” She laughed at his expression. “Do you actually know how the weapon was destroyed?”

  “Those fucking bottles.”

  “Bottles of what?”

  “How the fuck should I know?”

  “Exactly. So the honest answer is that you don’t know how it happened.”

  A reluctant grin spread across his face. “Fuck, you’re a devious woman.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Why aren’t you more worried?”

  “I don’t know. I suppose because I don’t really think we did anything wrong. The weapon had to be destroyed.” She sighed and rolled over on her back to look up at the ceiling of their cabin. “Although, I wish I was as sure about the scientists.”

  “Don’t you condemn murderers to death on your Earth?”

  “Sometimes. Sometimes they just get locked up for the rest of their lives.”

  He shuddered. “That’s fucking worse.”

  “Maybe. But I still hate that I was the one who made the decision.”

  “You weren’t. They made the fucking decision when they decided not to accept your offer.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  “I’m always right.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “And don’t fucking argue.”

  She nipped his finger and saw his eyes heat. “Why shouldn’t I argue? I know how much you enjoy it.” Her fingers curled around his cock and his eyes heated. The subject of escape pods was abandoned.

  His crew gathered in silence on the bridge as Ultana brought the ship into a landing on Kaisar. As soon as the engines shut off, a voice came over the speakers.

  “Captain Athtar, please disembark. Your crew may remain on board. For now.”

  Fuck. Still, it wasn’t like he had a choice. He turned to Faith. Despite her previous rationality, she looked pale and frightened.

  “Everything will be fine,” he said softly, as he drew her close.

  She lifted her chin and gave him a determined smile. “Of course it will.”

  “Behave yourself while I’m gone. Don’t fucking blow anything up.” Before she could respond, he kissed her, trying not to worry that it was for the last time. He forced himself to let her go and nodded to his crew.

  “Keep her safe.”

  He could hear Precious howling behind him as he left.

  At the bottom of the ramp, he recognized the same guard that had escorted him previously. He supposed it was a good sign that the emperor really did want to talk to him. Unfortunately, he wasn’t escorted to Karthajin, but rather to his advisor. Tanaca was an Elginar scholar, and a month ago, Athtar wouldn’t have trusted him as far as he could throw him, but his attitude towards scholars had softened considerably. It didn’t mean he had to like him.

  “What the fuck do you want now, spymaster?”

  “I want to know why you went back to Hothrest.”

  “What makes you think I did?” Fuck. Their departure must have been observed after all.

  “Let’s not play games, Captain. I know you were there. I want to know why.”

  “I stashed some of the liquor there and went back to collect it. What the fuck difference does it make?”

  Tanaca templed his fingers and looked at him thoughtfully. “Now why would you have done that?”

  “Held some back as a bargaining tool.” He shrugged. “Didn’t get a chance to pick it up after we got your fucking scientist. Did he tell you what you wanted to know?”

  “He’s dead.” Tanaca’s eyes narrowed. “Although somehow I suspect you know that. Just as I suspect you know how the other scientists died.”

  “What other scientists?”

  “Don’t play ignorant with me, Athtar. I know who your parents are, and I know you are neither stupid nor uneducated.”

  He leaned forward, baring his teeth. “I don’t know how any fucking scientists died.” As Faith had suggested, it was the literal truth.

  Tanaca looked down at a panel on his desk and then sat back, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

  “You believe that.” It wasn’t a question and he realized that the bastard had been running a lie detector test.

  “Yes. Can I go now?”

  “No. I want to know what happened on Hothrest.”

  “Don’t always get what you fucking want.”

  “Most of the time I do just that.”

  They stared at each other in silence for a minute, then Tanaca sighed and rubbed his eyes, looking unexpectedly tired.

  “My job is to provide Emperor Karthajin with the information he needs to make the best decisions for the Empire. How can I do that when I don’t know what happened on Hothrest or how it happened? What if there is another weapon or a more dangerous enemy?”

  Athtar was almost tempted to tell him the rest of the story, but despite his new tolerance for scholars, he wasn’t willing to trust this one.

  “Let me talk to the emperor,” he suggested finally.

  Tanaca’s eyes sharpened. “Why?”

  “Maybe I have some advice for him.”

  “He’s on his First Mating retreat.”

  “They’re fucking joined already?”

  A faint smile flickered across Tanaca’s face. “Emperor Karthajin did not wish to wait.”

  Fuck. “When will he return?”

  “Two days, perhaps three.”

  Double fuck. He sighed. “I can wait until he returns.”

  “How gracious of you.” Tanaca’s voice dripped irony. “Just to be sure of that, I have prepared accommodation for you here in the palace.”

  “I can wait in my fucking ship.”

  “I don’t think so. I have no intention of letting another avenue of investigation mysteriously disappear. Guards, please escort Captain Athtar to a holding room. Make sure he is… comfortable.”

  “I want to send a fucking message to my crew,” Athtar demanded.

  “They will be informed. If you think of anything you wish to say to me before the emperor returns, please feel free to inform your guards.”

  It took every bit of self-control he had not to reach across the desk and wipe the smug grin from the bastard’s face. He looked at the guards. He could take one of them, possibly two, but in the end, he didn’t think it would help. Instead, he growled and went with them. He just prayed that Faith would understand and wait for him to return.

  Faith paced the floor of their cabin. Athtar had been gone for more
than twenty-four hours and any attempt to be rational had long since disappeared. They had received a single message stating that Athtar would be helping the palace with their inquiries and nothing since then.

  “How long can those damn inquiries take?” she asked Precious. The puppy whined anxiously. Either she picked up on Faith’s anxiety or she was worried, too, because she had been unable to settle down. Instead of her usual nest in the blankets, she was following Faith back and forth across the room.

  Stopping by the viewport, she strained her eyes again, searching for some sign that Athtar was returning, but the surrounding area was completely quiet. They had landed on a small field outside the palace. The palace itself was concealed behind a massive black wall. It was heavily engraved with bas relief carvings, but they did nothing to lighten its overall forbidding appearance. There was one large entry gate with two men on guard at all times. The guards… She shook her head. They were massive, easily as tall as Athtar, with another foot added by the horns rising over their heads. What she could see of their bodies was covered by short brown fur and they bore a startling resemblance to the minotaurs of Greek myth. She wouldn’t be able to get by them without some type of diversion; however, the fact that there were only two of them indicated that they must have additional forms of surveillance.

  Surveillance… Her brain started to churn, then she nodded decisively and headed for the engine room, Precious trailing at her heels.

  An hour later, she was walking as quietly as possible towards the landing ramp. She had almost reached it when a huge winged figure stepped out of the shadows. Grabon. She should have known he would be guarding the ramp. He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at her.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “I’m going to get Athtar out of there. This is my fault.”

  He regarded her thoughtfully. “You say that a lot.”

  “Because it’s true. He wouldn’t have come back here if I hadn’t insisted.” Her lip trembled and she hastily forced it back under control.

  “If the Fleet was looking for him, they would have found him eventually, no matter where he was. Perhaps it’s better to get it over with now.”